Penitential station in An Tearmann

Templecrone Old Church (DG048-008001-) is located inside an 18th century graveyard (DG048-008003-). 34m WSW of the graveyard wall is a turas or pilgrimage station (DG048-008002-) where dedicatory offerings are left beside a holy stone which is believed to have curative properties. 150m W of the church is a holy well known as Tobercrone (DG048-007----). The holy stone was recorded in 1980 as 'The turas station is a rock outcrop 34m WSW of the wall enclosing Templecrone church and graveyard. Medals, coins, bottles and other objects have been placed here. The most conspicuous item here is a block of stone, circular in plan which has been shaped to give it a slight waist in the middle. Its dimensions are : 0.15m in height, 0.15-0.16m across at its base and 0.1-0.12m across at the top. The purpose and/or significance of the stone is unclear but there are two similarly shaped stones at an early church site on Tory Island, where they are said to be candles for the altar' (SMR File 1980). An earlier report from 1978 recorded that the holy stone was located in a 'cave' formed of natural boulders. Within the 'cave' there was a healing stone and votive offerings' (Kelly 2002, 26). The list of votive offerings inside the 'cave' included 'bottles, coins, household items, Christian objects, hair accessories, fragments of clothing, small souvenirs, written tracts, marine shells and pebbles' (Kelly 2002, 26). The two holy wells along with the holy stone or penitential station (DG048-008002-) and the church (DG048-008001-) and graveyard (DG048-008003-) are all associated with the turas to Templecrone. According to local information a third holy well on the island of Illancrone located 2.1km to the W, also formed part of the turas to Templecrone (pers. comm. 21/1/2011). The Turas consisted of a visit to the holy wells (DG048-007----) and to the holy stone (DG048-008002-) at Templecrone on the 7th of July which is the feastday of St Chróine, the patron saint of Templecrone church (DG048-008001-). The route and ceremony of the turas is described in the History of the Diocese of Rahpoe as, ‘The turas is performed by saying seven Our Fathers and seven Hail Marys at the Holy Well (DG048-007----), repeating the same prayers at the pile of stones (DG048-008002-) near the churchyard (DG048-008003-), and reciting the Rosary continuously while the circuit is being traversed. A portable stone (DG048-008002-), with fingermarks, as it were, impressed pretty deeply, is frequently taken away by some representative of a family among whom sickness has broken out, and, in all cases, restored after one night to the exact position in which it was found. Both the turas and St. Crone’s healing stone possess numerous clients down to the present day’ (Maguire 1920, vol.2, 222). The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated. Compiled by Caimn O'Brien Date of upload/revsion : 01 November 2011